Laura and I made a Target run today to pick up a few things. Dan and I have wanted to get Ben a slide for awhile now. I didn’t really feel like spending $50 on one, and anytime I email about one on craigslist the person never gets back to me. I guess slides are a hot commodity! Anyway, we saw the one I wanted for $30 at Target today! Wow, so cheap! Laura and I checked the #’s and it was the right item, so I put it in my cart, very excited. When we went to pay, it (of course) rang up at $50. Bummer. The manager said the price was right….boo. After we paid, my super detective sister ran back to the toy aisle and did a double check and took a picture of the price & #…we brought it back to the manager and he gave me the slide for $29.99! SCORE! They totally mis-marked the slide, but that is not my fault!

I put the slide together (Ok, basically just opened the box) and Ben was very excited. He just kept walking up the stairs, standing at the top and yelling, like he was King of the Mountain. No clue how to actually get down the slide (meanwhile, he goes down slides all the time…not sure what was throwing him off). This went on for about a half hour, until I tried to show him how to go down himself. Finally he got the hang of it and has become a sliding maniac. He LOVES it. Let’s hope he doesn’t get bored of the slide in a week.

King of the world! / Landing on Lucy / Singing at the top o' the mountain / A little help from my blankie

The funny part was the biggest lure for him to get down the slide on his own, was when I put his blankie at the bottom. He was on a mission to get it! It was cute. Those Aden & Anais blankies are basically crack for Ben.

Making sure I put the slide together correctly (Pretty sure Ben thinks I am out to get him)

The weather has been gorgeous in NJ lately. I am loving it, and so is Ben. Nicer weather means more time outside, which means a more tired child.

Me & Ben at the harbor on a gorgeous Boston evening

Here is a quick peek at Ben from Boston. He is very into “mooing” right now. And it even sounds like a MOO! (Unlike his previous moo, which was more like a “baaaa”) So proud of my little man! He is even starting to say “ba ba” for bottle.

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Maybe I should create a new brand, Zoo Jersey? How has this not been done before? Genius.

Anyways, Ben and I ventured out to the Turtleback Zoo on Monday thanks to a random 57 degree day in February! Of course, I didn’t really think it through as I left the house at 10am and it was still 45 degrees. But it was still a really nice day. Ben and I were one of about 3 families at the zoo. Ben chased peacocks, played in the sand, and checked out the animals leisurely in his stroller.

I also caught 2 meerkats in a compromising position and wished I had someone there to giggle like schoolchildren with. It reminded me of an old State skit (watch with caution). I follow all those guys on twitter and they are still hilarious. Another show that should not have been cancelled (the first, of course, being Arrested Development!) Ok, that took a random turn.Ben was wearing a new Gap t-shirt, Old Navy onesie, Gap jeans and jacket, and Stride Rite shoes.

Yesterday it rained all day but I was lucky enough to have my sister come over for a few hours and hang with me and Ben. Then I actually made a dinner! A healthy one! We had Spicy Kale and Chickpea stew over rice pilaf…using that lovely slow cooker once again! I am trying to incorporate a few more vegan meals into our weekly routine.

AND I also made mashed potatoes in the hopes Ben will actually eat something. This hunger strike of his is getting old. Poor guy’s head is getting bigger and his body is getting smaller (and taller)! He is looking like Angelina Jolie.

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While these pictures weren’t taken on Friday, it IS Friday, so this sort of makes sense. Plus it’s raining, so it’s definitely a casual day around here.

Ben is running around in a cute Gymboree hoodie, Old Navy fleece sweatpants and Trumpette Johnny socks. Notice the greeting Dan gets when he gets home. No matter how fussy Ben is, the minute Dan walks in the door hilarity ensues until bedtime. Ben hiding in the tent, waiting for Dan to “attack” him, running into Dan’s arms, crawling all over Dan. Noticing a theme? Daddy = FUN

Running laps / Treats / Greeting Daddy

Ben is obsessed with the dog bowl. He no longer eats dog food (or really just puts it into his mouth) as much as he used to. That’s not to say I don’t find a piece of kibble in his mouth on occasion. But he will just stand and point to the food bowl or water bowl, it’s really cute. And, like in the picture, sometimes stop to play with it. Another reason to buy high-quality dog food when you have a toddler in the house.

In other news: Dan and I are officially going to the HUNGER GAMES ADVANCED SCREENING on March 21! I am so excited, it’s hard to put it into words. Finally a reason to wear my Mockingjay pin in public!!! Go read the books ASAP if you haven’t.

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I spent the past four nights, starting on Thursday, at my parents’ house. Besides scanning a ridiculous amount of old photos, we also did some thrifting, some lunching, and some shopping. Grandma got Ben a few new adorable shirts at the Gap, along with a super cool new rash guard which is making me excited for summer.

Here is Ben modeling one of his new shirts. I love the neon thermal.

Gap thermal, Gap jeans, Trumpette Too socks

Here’s a few pictures from our Sunday. Dan got back from his “business” trip to San Francisco, which was really nice (especially since my Dad left for Washington the same day). We made baked ziti, drank wine and watched Amazing Race. SO excited for this season!

How cute is Ben watching the deer in the backyard with Rufus? The dogs literally go nuts when there are deer at the bird feeder (which is every day) and Ben runs over with them and checks out the scene. Cuteness.

Monday was a very exciting day because we made AUNTIE ANNE’S pretzels. Yes, that actually happened. Mom bought a kit at BJ’s and the whole thing was glorious. Definitely going to pick up a few hundred of those kits.

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This weekend was all about staying in, staying in pajamas, and staying warm. We were at the beach, and it was freezing. Ben never even got out of his pajamas on Saturday. It was one of those perfect days that include takeout pizza and a fire. And playing around on the iPad and taking silly pictures.

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Yesterday I got such a nice surprise in the mail. As I was walking through the lobby of the building, the front desk guy, James, informed me I have a package. Immediately I am thinking “Crap, what did I buy now? Dan is going to kill me.” He then proceeds to hand me this huge box which was a SLOW COOKER from my Aunt Linda! Since then (ya know, yesterday) I have been googling “slow cooker recipes” and getting very excited about all the new uses for this super appliance. Anyway, I digress. The real idea behind this post is how funny Ben is with things that are NOT toys at all. He goes into the box and grabs the cardboard and styrofoam and finds this more fascinating than any of the hundreds of toys he already has.

Ben took recycling even one step further, when I look over from my desk and he is using his styrofoam “necklace” as a SEAT! I almost fell over laughing, and was luckily able to grab a camera. It’s that time in Ben’s day when he bans the wearing of pants. Ben’s version of happy hour.

"Mom, what's wrong with this seat?"

Seriously, how funny is this kid?

Being perfect and cute, as usual.

As I type this, he is back in his new seat. I love it. I guess I can’t throw out the styrofoam, can I? And, on another note, how much does Ben look like my sister in this photo? Well, he does. I think so, at least. Next up, scanning the family baby pictures!!